I can tolerate many things, but not being misled. When the untruth is blatantly obvious and patently insulting, it tends to really piss me off. And the whopper I received from the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) last week was a truly fine example of this. RIMS, as everybody knows, operates the biggest risk…
Let's All Drink to the Bad Decision
Our industry owes a lot to poor judgement and bad decisions. In fact, we prosper and thrive on them. Think about it for a moment. Most accidents can trace their roots directly back to a bad decision. The employee who thinks they can jump off the loading dock without shattering their ankle? Bad Decision. The…
And Who Covered The Traumatized Raccoon?
It appears another high profile mental trauma case has hit the international stage, only this time, there is a twist. The injured employee in this case is a raccoon. And he was allegedly traumatized by the female breast. A petting zoo in Moscow is suing a video production company over the treatment it says its…
Looking at the Future Through a Glass Half Empty
I’m headed to Phoenix Wednesday, where I will have the honor of being the Keynote speaker at the American Bar Association LEL & TIPS Sections Mid-Winter Conference on Workers’ Compensation. I’ve been to numerous of these ABA events, but this will be the first time I will have spoken at one. I only have a…
A Lawyer, A Liar and Pants on Fire
I suppose the phrase “liar, liar, pants on fire” could be considered prejudicial in this case, but it is possible that is the way the jury saw it. A Miami lawyer defending his client last week ran into a little trouble with his closing argument in the case. His client had been charged with arson…
A Guide and Compassion for Uninsured Employers
There are not many in our industry who speak with true compassion for the uninsured employer. Los Angeles attorney Zachary Sacks is the exception. While he doesn’t give much credence to those who intentionally and flagrantly violate the law, he sounds somewhat sympathetic to those, who through their own ignorance about workers’ compensation and their…
A Best Blog Message to my Fellow Workers' Comp Bloggers
Editors Note: This missive ran last year to encourage involvement in the Best Blogs Contest. Because it worked so well then, and because Bob is essentially a lazy good-for-nothing sloth, it runs again this year. It has been updated to reflect current statistics. Greetings, fellow bloggers. I do not know if you are aware of…
Dwight Johnson, Heart and Soule
The workers’ comp world was saddened last week when we heard of the passing of Dwight Johnson. Dwight had become a bit of celebrity within our industry, and was widely respected as an inspirational force defining positive outcomes despite physical impairments. Dwight is best known to most for the brightly colored shoes he created; shoes…
Is Mental Injury Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
Yesterday Peter Rousmaniere published a rather scathing opinion piece on this site accusing the insurance industry in general of intentionally misleading the federal government and others when it comes to mental injury claims. It was his position that workers’ compensation insurers are shirking their responsibilities in the area of mental health, and of being intentionally…
While Workers' Comp Quietly Works
There is a great deal of discussion going on today about the problems of workers’ compensation. Many bloggers and columnists, including myself, devote a significant percentage of our energy to opining and analyzing what is wrong with the industry. It is a primary topic of conferences, and Lord knows the media has spent a decent…